Beyond Epistemology pp 129–153Cite as Hegel and the Natural Sciences

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-010-2016-9_5

Beyond Epistemology pp 129–153Cite as Hegel and the Natural Sciences

Errol E. Harris Chapter Abstract

Hegel is often represented as scornful and contemptuous of the natural sciences. He seems often to ridicule their methods and their achievements and to subordinate them, as forms of knowledge to the speculative “sciences” which, for him, constitute the body of philosophy. This is, at the very best, a half-truth, and is scarcely even true by half; for what Hegel certainly does very frequently ridicule is what he regards as pseudo-science and charlatanry rather than the genuine article, and his taunts are, more often than not, aimed at philosophers with whom he disagrees, and philosophical doctrines about nature which he considers superficial and trivial, than at the practising scientists and their recognized disciplines. Certainly, he did believe and teach, that the empirical sciences belonged to a lower phase of self-conscious reason than philosophy, but such a view is inescapable for any thinker who sees philosophy as the reflective study of human experience, including empirical science; and any philosopher who seeks to deny that his subject includes this reflective task is apt to renounce his own birthright as philosopher. To affirm the reflective (second-degree, or “meta-”) character of philosophy, on the other hand, is not to belittle or to despise the natural sciences; for it is only by paying them due respect that any philosophy of science, whether of its method and the concepts it uses (logic) or of its subject-matter (philosophy of nature), is able to attain its goal. Keywords Natural Science Common Sense Empirical Science Logical Category Absolute Idea These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution. Chapter USD 29.95 Price excludes VAT (USA) DOI: 10.1007/978-94-010-2016-9_5 Chapter length: 25 pages Instant PDF download Readable on all devices Own it forever Exclusive offer for individuals only Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout Buy Chapter eBook USD 84.99 Softcover Book USD 109.00 Learn about institutional subscriptions Preview Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF. Author information Authors and Affiliations Northwestern University, USA Errol E. Harris Editor information Editors and Affiliations Rights and permissions Reprints and Permissions Copyright information © 1974 Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, Netherlands About this chapter Cite this chapter Harris, E.E. (1974). Hegel and the Natural Sciences. In: Weiss, F.G. (eds) Beyond Epistemology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-2016-9_5 Download citation .RIS.ENW.BIB DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-2016-9_5 Publisher Name Springer, Dordrecht Print ISBN 978-90-247-1584-8 Online ISBN 978-94-010-2016-9 eBook Packages Springer Book Archive Over 10 million scientific documents at your fingertips Switch Edition Academic Edition Corporate Edition Home Impressum Legal information Privacy statement California Privacy Statement How we use cookies Manage cookies/Do not sell my data Accessibility FAQ Contact us Affiliate program Not logged in - 75.31.213.3 Not affiliated Springer Nature © 2023 Springer Nature Switzerland AG. Part of Springer Nature.